SOLD INTO SLAVERY

JAPANESE WORDS USED IN THIS CHAPTER AND THEIR MEANINGS

Shujin- Master

Tennabe- iron pot

Ōkina tennabe- big iron pots

Kami- god

1608年3月15日 (15th March 1608)

It took a day for the slave traders to reach Persia and by the next day, towards the evening, they reached the gate of Persia. 

Caulifla was very weak and hungry, having trekked a long distance to Persia without food or water. She did not still complain but managed to fight through it. When they reached Persia, they gave all the slaves a room to stay. 

Gnawing hunger, famished, black hole for a stomach, rumbling stomach, feeling light-headed and empty legs from hunger, feeling shaky, hungry as a hippo, hungry as a bear in spring, half-starved. 

That was how she felt.

She began to wince. She did not want to, did not want the men to see her weakness, did not want her hunger pangs get in the way of her goal. She couldn't help it, though. She felt alone and helpless. Weak and hungry.

"I...i....i am hungry Shujin. Please i need food to satisfy my hunger" Caulifla said as she held her stomach ever so tightly, the hunger pangs too much to bear.

"No food idiot. You should be happy that you will be living in the Palace and able to serve the King. 

"So if i were you beautiful one, i will shut my mouth up and lay in slumber because it is hard getting my eyes from you, because i might take advantage of your weakness. 

"No food for a lazy person" The man said as he looked at her lustfully, licking his lips and afterwards closed the door, leaving her to cry, holding her stomach while she did, living in a room with foreigners she knew not about.

8:00am 1608年3月16日 (15th March 1608)

All through the night she could not sleep, the hunger pangs and pain not letting her go to sleep. The morning was too slow in coming, and finally it arrived.

She was told to fetch water from a well into five Ōkina tennabe. She was too tired and weak to draw the water but she still did. On her third time of drawing water, when she had tried to carry the Tennabe to fill the Ōkina tennabe, she fell and she broke the Tennabe she was using.

"You broke my pot? How dare you?" The fat slave trader asked as he pushed her to the ground.

"Watashi wa.... Gomen'nasai" (I....i am sorry) She managed to say, trying to stand up from the ground but fell again as a result of weakness.

"How dare you? I will teach you a bitter lesson today"

"Plea....please i am sorry Shujin" She had said before being knocked down to the ground, the pain gnawing at her.

"Get me my whip" He ordered a servant.

"Please" She begged again but was ignored as the man was given a very long whip.

"Wait till i teach you a lesson. You will never ever break a pot in your life again" He said as he started whipping her, she being too weak to shout.

"Ple....please stop My Master"

"No one tells me what to do. I will make you pay"

Caulifla suddenly took on a pale look, as if she had been painted with white-wash - even her lips were barely there. The whipping became more intense as her eyes began to close, darkness surrounding her evenly.

13:04pm 1608年3月16日 (15th March 1608)

As she rouse from a heavy slumber she is first aware of the coolness of the air and it's loamy fragrance. The ground is lumpy as if she were on a bed of earth and rocks. Her tattered sack cloth feel as damp as a flower in the dew of the dawn. 

Caulifla sits up to take in the shafts of light that burst through the gaps in the leaf canopy above. That was when she remembered what had happened, how she was severely beaten with a whip. 

She could not believe she was still left in that same spot where she was whipped, at least it would have been a lot lenient if they had carried her inside.

Her body was all decorated with uneven marks, varying in sizes, due to the merciless whipping. She tried to stand at first but she is so weak to. Her body felt so sore.

She wondered how long she had been unconscious. Closing her eyes as she lay on the ground, she thinks of how to get up.

She tried the second time with no success as she fell to the ground yet again, crying as it pained more.

"You are awake" She opened her eyes to see the fat man who had beaten her with a whip standing with the other slim man whom she had not seen since morning.

"I thought you were dead. Now you get up. We have to go to the palace" The fat man had said as he dragged her torn sack cloth, making her stand forcefully. He tied her arms as he pushed her towards the carriage, not minding if she was limping.

"If i had known we would have made do with her before we sell her to the king. She is a beauty and will make do very well" The slim man said, looking at her with unhidden lust as the other man pushed her.

Caulifla wrapped her hands around her body as the mere thought of what they would have done to her if she had not fainted hit her. Now she did not regret why she fainted instead she silently praised her Kami for saving her from these horrible men.

"If not you had broken my pot and had fainted, i would have had fun with you before giving you to the King. 

"But time is quite against us and unfortunately, we have to let go of you without satisfying our desires, so count your self lucky beautiful one" The fat man said as he pushed her yet again, making her fall to the ground.

The world rushes by in a blur and she knew the pain that was to come after that heavy fall. It goes by fast, yet slow, almost suspended. Then impact. 

She felt her bones move in a way they shouldn't, jangled. Without looking she knew there was blood seeping from skin that seconds ago was smooth. She didn't move - anything to delay the part where the excruciating pain will dominate her and make her feel so hurt. 

Torn and dirty skin, reddened, weeping.

The slim man came to where Caulifla was and forcefully dragged her up, making her shout from the pain it gave.

"This is just the beginning girl, you have more to experience while in the Palace" He said as he pushed her towards the carriage with two horses and a man at the front.

She gave out a sigh of relief as she realised she wouldn't be trekking to the palace. She didn't even have any strength in her and she couldn't imagine trekking a long distance in her condition.

She entered the carriage with the two other men, making sure she creates a distance between them despite her tied hands because after all what she had heard them say, she did not want anything to happen even in the carriage. 

She adjusted her thorn and blood stained sack cloth very well so it won't attract them, at least not sexually.

Caulifla closed her eyes weakly as she silently prayed, pouring all her emotions on that single prayer;

"Watashitoisshoni ite kudasai. Watashi ga ima motte iru no wa anata dakedesu. Watashi o seikō sa se, shōri sa sete kudasai. Watashi no teikoku no tame ni nandemo" 

(Please be with me. You are the only one i have now. Make me successful and victorious. Anything for my Empire).

And soon the carriage started moving, into the path leading to the palace of the Persian King.